Method for making linked products



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METHOD FOR MAKING LINKED PRODUCTS Original Filed Dec. 24, 1963 17 Sheets-$heet 17 Fig. 27. 2 4o 265 264 t ZSGbX f United States Patent "ice 3,296,657 METHOD FGR MAKING LlNKEl) PRODUCTS Charles D. Moekle, Penn Hills Township, Allegheny County, Pa. (10063 Graudview Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15235) Original application Dec. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 333,148, now Patent No. 3,264,679, dated Aug. 9, 1966. Divided and this application Oct. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 497,796 13 Claims. (Cl. 1745) This application is a division of the application filed December 24, 1963, Serial No. 333,148, now Patent No. 3,264,679, issued August 9, 1966.

This invention relates to an improved method for making linked products, such as sausages, frankfurters, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved and highly efiicient method for quickly continuously linking a continuous length of stuffed casing.

The method of the present invention is capable of forming links of varying lengths and sizes, and, in addition, the invention is capable of being employed in connection with a sausage stuffing machine in which a continuous length of stuffed product is discharged therefrom. Moreover, the instant invention is also capable of being employed in connection with a stuffing apparatus in which a predetermined length of stufied product is discharged therefrom periodically, for example, an apparatus comprising a stuffing horn over which is placed a predetermined length of shirred material, such as artificial casing. Reference may be made to US. Patents 2,984,574, 2,999,756 and 2,999,757 as descriptive of such casing material.

Further, the method of the present invention is par ticularly adapted to be employed with a stufling apparatus, and it is adapted to be operated simultaneously and uniformly therewith to divide the continuous length of stuffed easing into uniform links.

While for the most part, for purposes of simplicity of description, reference will be made to the preparation of linked sausage, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to such stuffed products, but is equally advantageous for the continuous production of encased stuffed products of plastic material, such as fats, scrapple, ice cream, meat products, as well as cheese, lard, olernargarine, grease, snuff, caulking compound, and other products normally stuffed into casings, and in the specification and claims, the expression stuffed products is intended to include all such products.

Heretofore numerous types of apparatus have been proposed for linking stuffed products. For example, means have been provided for carrying or feeding a filled sausage casing to a certain position relative to the dividing and twisting mechanism and then holding the same in a stationary position while the dividing and twisting mechanism performs its function of linking the sausage. This type of apparatus is disadvantageous in that an intermittent feeding and stopping movement of the filled sausage casing occurs during the operation of the machine to form the easing into links, and this continuous stopping of the filled sausage casing during its feeding movement and the resultant delay incurred While the linking mechanism performs its function greatly slows down the operation of linking the sausage to such a point that the same is but little, if any, better than the hand-linking method.

Numerous machines have been proposed for linking sausage continuously, that is, without any intermittent stopping of the feed mechanism to enable the linking mechanism to operate on the stuffed product. However, while some of these machines may have some peculiar or distinguishing advantages over and above Patented Jan. 10, 1967 other machines which perform the same function, there is considerable room for a greatdeal of improvement therein. The most important aspect to be attained ina continuous linking machine is increased production, that I is, it is desirous to produce a compact and simply constructed device which is capable of linking stuffed products at a high rate of speed and at the same time, produce a linked product of high quality insofar as uni? formity of size'and compactness in the casing is concerned. i

Most prior art devices are comprised of a multitude of intricate parts that are expensive to manufacture, difficult and costly to maintain," and from an engineering standpoint, have a relatively high wear factor. The mechanics of these devices are quite complicated compared to the relatively simple task of linking sausage products. Without exception, present linkers will produce only a limited range of products, necessitating numerous linkers to produce the many types of links and products currently made in sausage kitchens. The production rate of these machines is relatively slow when compared to the annual volume produced.

One of the biggest problems encountered by meat packers is the many sizes of links produced in the sausage kitchen. These links vary in length, diameter, type of casing used and type of meat grind used. There are no linkers available at present to successfully manufacture all of these products. No present linker has a volume output sufliciently high to produce the amount of links normally manufactured in average meat plants. With present equipment, certain operations must be skillfully and critically controlled by labor, or undue breakage of the product will result.

With most present devices the product must be stuffed manually, then linked automatically, and then hung on smoke sticks manually. My invention combines these three operations into one automated process. In many instances some products must be hand linked because present linkers will not adjust to the sizes required,

Most present linkers produce links of nonuniform size. Since most of these links are packaged on a so many links per pound" basis, labor becomes an expensive factor in selecting links that in combination will equal the required weight.

Labor skill, which is always quite variable, mustbe used to vary the weight of the individual links to compensate for the nonuniformity of the product.

Accordingly, my invention substantially reduces the labor time required, from stuffing to packaging. It is the first all-encompassing linker engineered to produce links of all lengths, diameters, and meat grinds encountered in sausage kitchens. It automates sausage production by utilizing many advantages, made possible by the advances in modern technology. It has a high production rate which is a prime necessity to any device engineered to meet all requirements. This makes this device an all purpose linker which combines many of the sausage kitchen operations automatically.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method for linking a continuous length of a stuifed product, the resultant links being of uniform size and length, and the operation being carried out continuously, quickly, and smoothly without interruption. s It is another object of the persent invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for producing linked sausage, frankfurters, and the like, which is compact, simple of construction, easily moved from one place to another for installation, and readily adaptable to be used with continuous sausage stuifers or stuffing apparatus.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide'a new and improved method of producing a linked stuffed product.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of my invention, such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features, as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification taken in conjunction with the several drawings disclosing a specific exemplary embodiment of my invention, in which:

FIGURES 1A and 1B collectively illustrate a side elevational view of a linking and twisting machine incorporating the principles of my invention, the view illustrating various operations being performed upon the stuffed product;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, partially in vertical section, of the inlet end of my improved machine, the view being taken substantially along the line 11-11 of FIG. 1A with the pincher assemblies moved inwardly to their innermost position for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the outlet end of my improved machine, the view being taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 18;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the improved linking and twisting machine of the present invention, with a horizontal sectional viewtaken through the linking reel substantially on the line IV-IV of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view, taken on an enlarged scale, of one of the clamping, pinching, or squeezing assemblies carried by the linking reel, the view being taken substantially along the line V-V of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the pincher assembly of FIG. 5 and also illustrating a radial sectional view through the hub of the linking reel as taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the stationary frame support, stuffing horn assembly, the slidable carrier for the linking reel (not shown) and a portion of the productaccumulating cable;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, taken on an enlarged scale, of one of the pincher assemblies including the associated hub of the linking reel, and illustrating the open discharge position of the pincher arms;

FIG. 9 is a detail perspective view of a pair of cooperating pincher arms and showing the relation of the pincher arms in the completely closed constricting position thereof;

FIG. 10 is a detail plan view of one of the pincher arms;

FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of the pincher arm of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a detail plan view of the pincher arm of FIG. 10, but illustrating the opposite face thereof;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken, on an enlarged scale, through the engaged pincher arms close to the apices thereof substantially along the line XIII- XIII of FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary plan view of a pair of coacting pincher arms in the partially closed constricting position thereof as acting upon a product casing;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the undesirable shearing action as effected by pincher arms of the prior art upon the product casing;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the oppositely-directed, balanced constricting forces exerted by the coacting pincher arms of the present invention upon the product casing, and showing such action at an intermediate point in the closing operation;

FIG. 17 is a detail perspective view of a pair of coacting pincher arms of the present invention in the substantially closed position and the link being formed thereby;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary plan view of the end of the radially-positioned pincher assembly showing the camactuated pincher rods in the closed position;

FIG. 19 is an end view of the pincher assembly of FIG. 18 illustrating the closed portion of the pincher arms in full lines as taken along the line XIX-XIX of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating how various pincher arms may readily be selectively locked in the open position to obtain thereby longer lengths of stuffed casing;

FIG. 21 is a detail perspective view of one of the locking clips employed in the locking operation illustrated in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the cam mechanism for effecting oscillating movement of the product-accumulating cable carrier;

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary side view of the cam mechanism of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of a conditioning chamber, through which the conveyor cable may carry the linked product as produced by my invention;

FIG. 25 is an enlarged detailed side view, partially in vertical section, of the detachable coupling device for radially positioning the pincher-arm assemblies upon the linking reel, and for correcting the reel carriage position;

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view of a stufiing horn, or casing holder, having internally frictionally-engaging fingers for creating the proper amount of drag upon the shirred casing;

FIG. 27 is an enlarged view of a modified type casing holder having a variable means for creating internal friction upon the casing during discharge;

FIG. 28 is an end view of the modified-type casing holder of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through the multiple-unit turret assembly of FIG. 30 for accommodating a plurality of casing holders, the view being taken substantially along the line XXIX-XIX of FIG. 30;

FIG. 30 is a fragmentary plan view of the multiple unit turret assembly of FIG. 29; and,

FIG. 31 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical control for properly cycling the several motors, or drive means, of the linking machine of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1A and 1B thereof, the reference numeral 1 generally designates the improved machine of the present invention for making linked products. As shown, the linking machine 1 comprises a stationary support base, generally designated by the reference numeral 2, and having a pair of parallel-disposed longitudinally-extending angle-irons 3, a plurality of upright frame supports 4, upper bearing slide rails 5, and front and rear supporting members 6, 7. Reference is directed to FIG. 7 of the drawings in this connection.

In addition, the stationary supporting base 2 includes a lower support plate 8, an upper turret support plate 9, a stationary cam guide, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, and an upper rear supporting brace 11. Moreover, the stationary supporting base 2 comprises a rear base extension, generally designated by the reference numeral 12, and including upright support members 13 supporting, in turn, a conveyor cable driving mechanism 14. As shown, the conveyor cable driving mechanism 14 includes a drive motor 15, having an adjustable gear reduction device 16 associated therewith to vary the speed of driving wheels 17 for driving the two conveyor cables 18, 19. Suitably-positioned guide pulleys 20 are utilized, as shown in FIG. 7. One guide pulley 21, however, is oscillat able to provide a desired conveyor pattern for the linked products, as more fully described hereinafter.

Again with reference to FIG. 7, it will be observed that the cam guide, or device 10 includes downwardly depending support members 22, horizontally extending spaced cam supports 23, and upwardly extending cam guide supports 24. Suitable spacing supports 25 are, as

shown, employed. The guide cam rails .26 are provided with a diverging entrance portion 26a, the purpose for which will appear more fully hereinafter.

Supported upon the support plate 8 is a pair of productinjecting cylinders 27, having reciprocally movable therewithin product-driving pistons 28. As shown in FIG. 2, each injecting piston 28 is secured to an externally threaded piston rod 29 threaded through the threaded aperture 30 of a lower rotatable drive head 31 having a driving worm gear 32 fixedly secured thereto. Each Worm gear 32 of the respective product injecting cylinder 27 is driven by a worm 33 secured adjacent opposite ends of a drive shaft 34, the latter, in turn, being driven by an adjustablespeed, gear-reduced product-driving motor 35, also mounted upon the support plate 8.

Disposed adjacent the upper end of each product injecting cylinder 27 is a meat-inlet aperture 36 communicating with a product inlet pipe 37. Preferably, a control valve 38 is provided to periodically control the admission of the meat product, or emulsion 39 into the injecting cylinder 27 during the filling operation. A rotatable manually operated gate valve 38a is used to prevent the fiow of product through the horn 41 during the filling of cylinder 27. The gate valve 381; is rotatable about pivot axis 38b and has a manually operable handle 38c associated therewith.

Supported upon each of the two upper turret support plates 9 is a rotatable turret assembly, or head, generally designated by 'the reference numeral 40, and comprising a plurality of rotatable stufiing horns, or casing holders 41, as more clearly shown in FIG. 29 of the drawings. As well known by those skilled in the art, the casing 4-2, which is preferably a shirred length of artifical casing, is placed over the rotatable casing holder 41, as shown in FIG. 26, to receive the injected meat product or emulsion 39. The rate of injected flow into the casing 42 through the interior 43 of the casing holder 41 is adjustably determined by the driving speed of the drive motor 35. The rotation of the casing holder 41 is effected within a bearing 44 by the rotation of a gear 45, affixed to the horn 4-1, and meshing with a drive gear 46 secured to the upper end of a horn drive shaft 47. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower end of the horn drive shaft 47 has a drive pulley 48 rotated by a drive cable 49. The drive cable 49' is driven by a drive pulley 56' affixed to the end of a motor shaft 51. A horn-driving motor 52, of the adjustable speed type, is provided, being mounted upon one of the upright support members 4, as shown in FIG. 2, and the driving action thereof effects through the drive cable 49 rotation of the left-hand casing holder, as viewed in FIG. 2. In order to synchronize both rotatable casing holders 41 of both product injecting devices 53, an additional drive pulley 48a is affixed to the left-hand horn drive shaft 47, as viewed in FIG. 2, and an additional drive cable 49a effects rotation of the drive pulley 48 of the right-hand product-injecting device 53.

Linking reel assembly-FIG. 4

To effect a desired rapid linking and twisting action on the encased meat product, there is preferably provided in my improved machine 1 a reciprocally-slidable and automatically-adjustable reel carriage, generally designated by the reference numeral 54, and including a slidable frame 55 carrying two spaced block bearings 56 in which is journaled the reel shaft 57 of a linking reel assembly, generally designated by the reference numeral 58. The linking reel assembly 58 is more clearly shown in FIGS. 1A, 2 and 4 of the drawings.

An adjustable speed reel-drive motor 59 is preferably provided, being carried upon the reciprocally movable slide frame 55 adjacent the left-hand journal support 56, as viewed in FIG. 4. Suitable means, not shown, are provided to synchronize the driving injecting speed of the injector pistons 28 with the driving speed of the reel drive motor 59, so that the resultant linked product will be uniformly filled with the product emulsion 39.

The slide frame includes a plurality of slide hearing blocks 60 slidable on the stationary bearing slide rails 5. In addition, the reel carriage 54 includes a rear, horizontally-extending support member 61 carrying on the upper side thereof a detachable coupling means 62 for effecting the radial adjustment of the pincher assemblies carried on the rotatable linked reel, as more fully described hereinafter.

The reciprocally-movable slide frame 55 also carries a cam-follower selective device, generally designated by the reference numeral 63, and including a cam selector arm 64, pivotally mounted, as at 65, to one of the longitudinally-extending slide rails 66 of the reel carriage 54.

The cam selector arm 64 has an oscillating drive roller 67 pivotally mounted to the extremity thereof, as at 68, and a laterally jutting cam selector bar 69. Adjustably slidable upon the cam selector bar 69 is a cam follower plate 70 which may be selectively positioned beneath one of several cams 71, each of which has a varying number of cam lobes 72, more clearly shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 of the drawings. The four earns 71, as shown in FIG. 22, provide different combinations of links 73 on either side of the respective conveyor cables 18, 19 as shown more clearly in FIG. 1A of the drawings, and as described more fully hereinafter.

More particularly, a cam follower arm 74 is pivotally connected, as at 75 (FIG. 4) to the rear brace 11 (FIG. 3), and has a longitudinal slot 77 provided therein, within which rolls the oscillating drive roller 67. As a result, downward intermittent pivotal motion of the grooved lever arm 74-, as effected by the cam action of a particular cam 71, will, in turn, effect corresponding downward reciprocating movement of a link 78, pivoted to the extremity thereof, as at 79. The lower end of link 78 is pivotally connected, as at 80, to a conveyor-cable crankarm, generally designated by the reference numeral 81, and more clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The crank-arm 81 has an upstanding pulley arm 82 carrying the cable pulley 21 to effect thereby lateral oscillating movement of the conveyor pulley 21 in accordance with the particular cam 71 selected. This will, of course, determine the number of links 73 looped on each side of the conveyor cables 18, 19.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. 1A, 2, 8 and 9, the linking-reel assembly 58 comprises a hub 83 keyed to the reel shaft 57 and rotatable therewith. The reel hub 83 carries a multiplicity of radially adjustable pincher assemblies 84 extending radially therefrom, in the particular example shown 24 in number, and shown more clearly in FIGS. 5, 6, 8 and 9 of the drawings.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 5, 6 and 8 of the drawings the linking-reel assembly 58 slidably carries linking crossheads, or pincher carriers 85 on guide rods 86 extending radially from the hub 83, and the radial position of the pincher support 85 is determined by the degree of rotation of a threaded positioning screw rod 87, threaded through a threaded bore 88 of .the pincher holder 85. Each threaded positioning rod 87 has fixedly secured thereto, to cause the rotation thereof, an inner bevel gear 89 which meshes with adjacently disposed bevel gears 89, so that all the pincher carriers 85 will simultaneously be moved radially inwardly or outwardly upon the guide bars 86. Alternate position-ing rods 87 have righthand and left-hand threads so that the different rotations of the rods 87 may be accommodated. An end support plate 76 is disposed at the extremities of rods 86, 37 and 90 and is provided with three bearings 76a for accommodating the rotative movement of rods 87, 90. Pairs of spaced connecting links 76b rigidly space the end plates 76 the proper circumferential distance relative to the reel shaft 57. Also extending radially outwardly from the hub 83 of the linking reel assembly 58 is a pair of cam-actuated pincher-assembly operating 

1. THE METHOD OF FORMING A STUFFED PRODUCT AS A SERIES OF INTEGRALLY-CONNECTED LINKS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: ROTATING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED CASING ABOUT A GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS, INJECTING A FLUID-LIKE PRODUCT INTO THE VERTICALLY ROTATING CASING, TRANSPORTING THE STUFFED CASING IN AN ARCUATE PATH, CONSTRICTING SPACED PORTIONS OF THE ROTATING STUFFED CASING AT THE ORIGIN OF ENTRY OF SAID ARCUATE PATH OF TRAVEL TO EFFECT THEREBY A TWISTING ACTION UPON THE STUFFED CASING AT THE POINTS OF CONSTRICTION TO THEREBY PRODUCE THE LINKS. 